Services

SERVICES

ON-SITE GAIT EVALUATION & BIOMECHANICAL ASSESSMENT

Contrary to popular belief, there is no “ideal“ running form across a population. Everyone has a different structural makeup and different goals, necessitating an in-depth running assessment and treatment plan to match your needs. Every new RunLab patient with weight-bearing ability begins with a full-body gait analysis in addition to a detailed static, functional and orthopedic exam prior to formulating a plan.

Full-body gait analysis not only helps our team determine your strengths and limiters, but it also serves as a useful feedback tool to help you understand your own movement mechanics so we can work together to fine tune your individual running technique. Whether you are an elite runner looking to shave time, a new runner wanting help with technique, or the parent of a kid who “looks funny” when he runs, we are the right place for you. Our team of gait specialists has extensive training in clinical biomechanics and will work with you on your running technique through focus on improved economy, performance development and injury prevention. We have worked with thousands of runners spanning every age and ability level, from Olympian, junior Olympian and professional to those lacing up their first pair of running shoes. If we aren’t the right team for you we’ll know where to send you.

HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONERS, COACHES, AND TRAINERS: Don’t have the time, space, expensive equipment, or detailed biomechanics knowledge to perform gait evaluation on your patients or clients but you know they need it? Let us help! We will walk you through the filming process, analyze your patient’s mechanics, and provide you with a detailed diagnostic report containing suggested strength, gait, and shoe modifications so you can do the fun part…fix them! Call 512-266-1000 ext 2 for information.

GAIT TRAINING, RUNNING TECHNIQUE & PERFORMANCE DEVELOPMENT

Whether you are just starting to run or are trying to hit your next PR, our team will help identify limiters in efficiency that may be holding you back. It doesn’t matter how fast you can run if you end up sitting on the sideline with an injury. For this reason, we put a strong emphasis on injury prevention when assessing mechanical load in all of our runners. We have worked with thousands of runners, including those as young as 6 and as experienced as 80. We have successfully worked with a wide spectrum of athletes, from recreational to Olympic hopeful and have years of experience working with both kids and adults from every conceivable running background. We are passionate about helping runners help themselves and feel an important part of the training process should be centered around education and working with you to understand your individual strengths and limiters.

WEB-BASED GAIT EVALUATION & SHOE RECOMMENDATION SERVICES

We understand that access to a quality, clinically relevant gait evaluation is extremely limited in the United States. For those with limited scheduling availability or who live outside of Austin, we offer gait evaluation and shoe recommendation services in a virtual format. We will walk you through the necessary steps for capturing the video and other information we need to assess your gait, structural integrity, injury history, and goals. We will then schedule a phone meeting to discuss your findings, shoe recommendations, and plan of action for improvement in running technique based on your needs. We are also happy to work with your current healthcare team on action items if you are working with a therapist, personal trainer, doctor, or coach and would like them looped in on the findings.

INJURY EVALUATION, PHYSICAL THERAPY & SPORT-SPECIFIC REHAB

RunLab is revolutionizing running-specific healthcare. We are passionate about getting to the root of your running-related issues through our comprehensive evaluation process that looks at the entire biomechanical picture. We understand that each runner has his or her own strengths, weaknesses, structural limiters, and goals that must be considered when determining a rehab or injury prevention plan. We are staunch advocates of running for both mental and physical health, and believe everyone should be able to run. Runners need a healthcare team that not only understands running injuries, biomechanics, and how to unravel complex movement pattern issues, but who are also runners themselves and understand what it means when you say you “need” to be able to run. At RunLab, our treatment plans are based on an active care model. From simple sprains and strains to complex multi-layered running injuries, our team will thoroughly evaluate your injury and work with you on a running-specific treatment plan based around your individual needs. Our goal is not only that you keep training through the healing process whenever possible, but that you come out stronger on the other side with a more thorough understanding of your own body.

SPORTS MASSAGE

Appropriately balanced range of motion is vital to achievement of sound biomechanics. However, there are many misconceptions about flexibility and its relationship to running. We strive to educate our patients on the role that range of motion plays in an individual’s gait and predisposition to injury, including why too much range of motion can be highly detrimental to a runner’s economy. Our massage therapists have more than a decade of experience treating runners of every age and ability level and work closely with the rest of our clinical team to address your specific limiters in relation to your goals. As athletes themselves, each of our therapists understand the unique needs of runners and strive not only to help you improve range of motion, but also to better understand your own anatomy.

SHOE RECOMMENDATIONS

Following completion of your gait evaluation, we will determine the most appropriate shoe characteristics to match your specific biomechanical needs. Individual structure,loading patterns, goals, and injury history are all vital components of determining the most appropriate shoe type for your current fitness level and injury status. We believe that a comprehensive analysis of gait is an underutilized tool in the footwear industry and that movement and structure should be regularly assessed when choosing a shoe, especially if you are struggling with injury.

EDUCATION, SEMINARS & CONSULTING

In addition to leading a national Clinical Gait Specialist certification program through RunLab’s education arm, RunLab Training, our team works closely with both Austin area coaches and national health and fitness organizations to develop and teach gait training techniques, running biomechanics and injury prevention seminars. Our team believes strongly in community service and regularly gives back to the Austin community by donating time to several Austin high school cross country and track programs, Texas 4000, and other local sports clubs in order to help coaches develop injury prevention programs for their adolescent runners. RunLab also launched Kayleigh’s Club in 2017, one of the only special needs running groups in the country, geared toward individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who want the opportunity to experience the joys of running and racing. To set up a free injury prevention and biomechanics talk for your group (either at our location or yours), call 512-266-1000 ext 2.